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7
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The investigations of the committee resulted in two major conclusions about the future uses of
the seabed in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). First, it is highly probable that the uses of this
region will increase in the next 20 years. These include exploration for and development of oil and
gas resources, waste disposal, emplacement of cables for civilian and military purposes, harvesting of
fisheries resources, recovery of certain hard minerals, and designation of cultural resources such as
marine sanctuaries. Potential uses of the EEZ seabed related to a broader spectrum of mineral
exploration and development, other biological resources, development of ocean energy systems and
technologies, and recreational uses are less likely to expand significantly in the near term, but will
probably become more important in the time frame beyond 20 years.
The second major conclusion of this study is that for all foreseeable uses of the EEZ seabed,
improved coordination and increased joint planning are needed to implement effective and efficient
systematic mapping and surveying programs and develop or improve the technology needed to
support them, improve access to and sharing of EEZ data, develop approaches for multiple uses,
identity and resolve potential conflicts among various users, and ensure environmental protection.
Such a strategy would provide the nation with the foundation for a coherent plan for developing its
ocean territory.
In order to accomplish these objectives, the committee recommends the following actions be
initiated:
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COORDINATION AND PLANNING
Economic and institutional pressures will lead to increasing use of the U.S. EEZ seabed for a
variety of purposes, some of which are likely to conflict. Additional planning efforts among federal
and state governments, industry, academia, and representatives of public interest groups will lead to
more efficient, orderly, equitable, and environmentally sound development of EEZ resources.
Recommendations
1. Congress should enact legislation that creates a formal joint planning and coordination
process that includes a lead agency mandated to develop a national EEZ plan, an external
commission composed of representatives of industry, academia, and public interest groups, and an
internal interagency committee. Based on the recommendations and advice of the commission and
interagency committee, and in cooperation with the coastal state governments, the federal
government should formulate a national management policy for EEZ uses that identifies the needs
of specific user groups and determines ways of enhancing cooperation and efficiency of operations
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among the various agencies and industries and identifying and resolving potential conflicts among
users.
2. As part of the planning and coordination process, federal agencies with EEZ programs
should pursue cooperative and joint agreements with coastal state governments in planning and
implementing EEZ activities.
SPECIFIC USES
Certain uses of the EEZ will require special policy action at the federal level in order to plan
for future development. For example, development of mineral resources and use of the EEZ seabed
for waste disposal are potential activities that are unlikely to proceed until more comprehensive
national policies are devised. Other uses, both existing and potential, will also benefit from
improved regulatory policies.
Recommendations
The U.S. Congress should ensure that a coherent policy is developed that addresses
specific concerns of industry and coastal states with regard to economic and environmental issues
affecting the development of EEZ mineral resources. Appropriate agencies should provide the
leadership to ensure development of the necessary science and technology for assessment, evaluation,
and verification of critical hard mineral resources.
4. A comprehensive long-term national waste management policy based on an evaluation of
waste disposal in all media, including land and ocean disposal options, should be formulated by
Congress to provide a predictable framework for planning and developing acceptable ocean waste
disposal strategies.
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
The seabed of the EEZ is a new frontier that includes a broad range of seafloor morphology,
water depths, sediment types, and environmental conditions that affect its use. The complexity of
the EEZ seabed requires multidisciplinary research efforts that are costly in terms of both
technology and time required to obtain and analyze data.
The various potential uses of the EEZ share the need for reconnaissance survey data and for
task and site-specific information. The variety of acoustic and optical technologies for collection of
bathymetry, bottom imagery, and near-surface sedimentary data are costly in time and resources. The
mapping priorities and geographic areas of interest in the EEZ require further definition as a first
step toward planning the efficient sharing of mapping activities, survey and ship time, and
equipment. Deepwater areas of known or potentially high resource value and other potential uses
should have higher priorities than those areas for which no use is envisaged in the foreseeable
future.
Recommendations
5. Research activities in the EEZ should be coordinated through a designated agency to
enhance cooperation and efficiency of operations among various agencies, industries, and academia,
and promote basic research efforts that will increase understanding of seabed processes in the EEZ.
6. As a part of the national EEZ plan, a formal government/industry/academia EEZ program
should be established to set priorities for seabed surveying and mapping activities and promote the
development of technologies for obtaining EEZ seabed data. The technological developments
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should include expanded use of multisensor systems for both task-specific and reconnaissance surveys
in frontier areas, use of autonomous and towed vehicles, and improved techniques for processing
and interpreting remotely acquired seabed data.
7. The agency designated to coordinate EEZ research activities should ensure that programs
are set in place to develop the necessary technology for geotechnical and geological data acquisition
in concert with the projected uses and needs. These systems and techniques will include improved
sampling and in situ testing equipment for use from surface and submerged vessels in frontier areas,
field monitoring of installations, and laboratory experimental modeling for seabed-structure
interaction studies.
8. Government should provide leadership in fostering communication and exchange of data
among all agencies and other organizations conducting research in the EEZ through development of
a comprehensive EEZ data management system.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
A clear need has emerged for a nationally coordinated and supported effort in monitoring
selected portions of the EEZ seabed in connection with future uses. As EEZ use expands, the lack
of such a program will increase the risk of inadvertent and unacceptable damage to the EEZ
environment. The required monitoring will fall into three categories: (1) reference monitoring to
determine the natural range and variability of environmental parameters of the EEZ seabed, (2)
process-related monitoring to understand major EEZ seabed processes, and (3) use-related
monitoring to evaluate the suitability of EEZ sites for specific uses and their environmental
consequences.
Recommendation
9. In conjunction with the joint planning and coordination process and the research efforts
recommended above, a national EEZ monitoring program should be established with input from
industry; federal, state, and local governments; academia; and public interest groups to determine
EEZ monitoring priorities and strategies and the commitments by government and users required to
implement them. Such a program should be based on the framework of projected uses of the
seabed and should include long-term reference monitoring, seabed process-related monitoring, and
use-related monitoring at specific sites. It should also incorporate the capability to respond to
detrimental impacts.
PROTECTION OF UNIQUE AREAS
Identification and protection of unique underwater areas and habitats under the National Marine
Sanctuaries Program has to date been a limited effort. In order to designate and subsequently
manage a marine sanctuary, a substantial amount of information is needed on the resources and
physical environment of the area.
Recommendation
10. Federally sponsored EEZ activities should include a marine sanctuary reconnaissance
component for discovery and identification of unique areas of the seafloor deserving such long-term
protection. Such designations should occur well in advance of resource development in EEZ areas
to forestall potential conflict among competing uses.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
coordination process
